Gambling poses no social problems - United Future

The United Future Party, a Christian values-based Party, has, as many will know, some very odd ideas about how it should best promote good family values.

We all know that United Future has, for example, truly incredible ideas about how best to protect young teenagers from the risks associated with the country's biggest drug problem, alcohol ( www.ahw.co.nz)

Now the United Future Party seems to be saying that there is no empirical evidence linking gambling addiction problems affecting some families with the introduction of pokie machines into our communities.

United is the weirdest pro-families and most unconvincing pro-moral values party around - anywhere in the world!

Oh, Mr. Key - you just blew it!

And to think that that Mr. Key had been doing so well since he became National leader!

Many people had over the New Year period said to me that Mr. Key seemed like such a warm and sensible sort of guy and how pleased they were someone had taken the helm at National who would put an end to the endless inflammatory rockets thrown at Maori as had become the National Way of relating to Maori issues prior to Mr. Key's rise.

Many rejoiced that, under Mr. Key the National Party presented itself as falling into line with policies popular with working families: 4 Weeks Annual Leave; Kiwi-owned Kiwi Bank; Paid Parental Leave; Kiwi Saver, NZ Superannuation Fund.

National's U-Turns under Mr. Key were O.K. because Mr. Key was O.K.

But then it happened.

In the past seven days, we have seen Mr. Key on T.V. reminding all of us that n 2003 the National Party bitterly condemned the Labour-Progressive Government for not joining the illegal U.S. invasion, occupation and destruction of Iraq.

In the past seven days, we've all been reminded that National is still, after all, the same old National.

Old National thinks that some how it is New Zealanders' fault that the United States government maintains completely unfair barriers against our farming exports - massive import tariffs are imposed on the Kiwi primary production that we are most competitive at producing.

The United States didn't impose those unfair barriers against our living standards because we didn't join their illegal Iraqi war!

The U.S. didn't impose those unfair barriers against our farmers because of our anti-nuclear policy!

The U.S. put its discriminatory trade policies against our living standards long before we adopted our anti-nuclear policy and decades before its illegal Iraqi occupation.

It is laughable for the National Party to now pretend that it is somehow New Zealanders' fault that the U.S. won't reduce its unfair trade barriers and extend to us a so-called "free-trade deal" of the sort it has with a dozen anti-democratic "allies" around the globe - from Columbia to Morocco. Many of the free trade partners of the U.S abysmally fail to protect the most basic international labour rights such as the abolition of child labour.

Progressive financial transactions tax idea a good idea!

Most of the feedback on a tax on financial transactions has been positive. Yes, it certainly wouldn't stop Japanese or Swiss speculators borrowing yen to buy Kiwi dollars to benefit from our world's highest interest rates - but it would raise some money for the government which we as a society could spend on skills training, job creation, export assistance or poverty reduction.

The NZ$5 trillion in daily currency trading is ten times the value of daily international turnover in shares and bonds and about ONE HUNDRED TIMES THE VALUE OF DAILY INTERNATIONAL GOODS AND SERVICES TRADE.

Auckland Progressive Party meeting March 31

We've had an independent Left Party in Parliament since 1989, 18 years ago. Auckland Progressive Party members are welcome to attend a policy and strategy meeting on March 31, 10 to 1.30 at the Tongan Methodist Church in Grey Street in Onehunga to discuss policy and strategy for progressives ahead of Election 2008.

Asian Services team of the Problem Gambling Foundation launch

The Asian Services team of the Problem Gambling Foundation will be having a special community launch of its social marketing campaign at the Fickling Centre in Three Kings on Friday (23 March). The event begins at 2pm.

ENDS

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